Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
Learn more

Surakarta Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Surakarta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bali and in Surakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $509 in Surakarta, rent included.

Bali $1,236
Surakarta $509

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $817 in Surakarta, rent included.

Bali $2,086
Surakarta $817

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $1,124 in Surakarta, rent included.

Bali $2,937
Surakarta $1,124

Bali costs about 143% more than Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Surakarta are more affordable than the global median – Bali 8% lower, Surakarta 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

69.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

157.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

44.69%

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

49.68%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

$0.54 Rp 9,772

159.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.25 Rp 4,534

156.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

55.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

29.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

71.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

202.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

51.95%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

110.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

116.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

115.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

116.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

71.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

14.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

23.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

32.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

30.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

34.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

70.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.43 Rp 7,732

18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

9.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

154.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

35.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,713

$0.40 Rp 7,244

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

-63.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,646

$0.50 Rp 9,071

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,705

$0.43 Rp 7,709

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

109.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

7.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

-3.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

-1.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

4.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

210.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

197.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

78.95%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

91.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$445 Rp 8.0M

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

1231.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

182.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

-27.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

-6.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

14.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

$168 Rp 3.0M

494.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

953.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

$338 Rp 6.1M

804.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

$192 Rp 3.5M

687.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

$158 Rp 2.8M

39.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.5

83.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Surakarta

$57 11.1% 90.5% $540

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Surakarta

$148 29.2% 46.4% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Surakarta

$98 19.2% 7.8% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Surakarta

$103 20.3% 2.1% $2.1

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Surakarta

$57 11.2% 36.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Surakarta

$20 3.9% 63.9% $35

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Surakarta

$26 5.1% 125% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Bali versus $168 in Surakarta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Bali, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali versus $12.00 in Surakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $148 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

1 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bali Surakarta 500 km

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Bali
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bali vs Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 143% more than Surakarta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,854 per month in Bali and $763 in Surakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surakarta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali and $12.00 in Surakarta. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Bali and $509 in Surakarta. That's a gap of about 143%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Bali at $1,236. In Surakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surakarta costs $509 versus $1,236 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Surakarta. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.